Margaret Niven

First Time Art Party Participant

Open Timber

Artist’s Website

Artist’s Statement

Trees. Groups of trees. Walking through them again and again. The linear tangle of their branches contrasting with light and color in spaces between.

After collecting images with a cell phone, I go home and begin at the beginning: drawing. Then I try watercolor. Dissatisfied, I draw on top of it. I want more contrast and the grain of charcoal and chalk on rough paper. Bits of remaining color remind me of light coming through leaves.

And I paint. Tall oil paintings of trees. What I learn through drawing informs the paintings. It helps me to find a balance between realism and experience.